How does a pinched nerve occur?
About 90% of cases are characterized by pinching of the nerve root at its exit from the spinal cord. There can be many reasons for such pinching. One of them is intervertebral hernia. In this case, the intervertebral disc ruptures and a hernia emerges, while the vertebrae sag and press on the nerve. The person feels severe pain, in addition, sensitivity in the legs and muscle activity decrease. If the problem is not dealt with, then as a result the muscles atrophy, the feet sag, and severe dysfunction of the urinary tract occurs.
But for the most part, the sciatic nerve is compressed by bone growths during osteochondrosis. Pressure at the base of the nerve occurs slowly as the formation grows, so the pain also comes slowly.
But before starting treatment, it is necessary to find out the cause of the nerve compression. This can only be done by a doctor after a mandatory examination. The doctor will prescribe an x-ray of the spine and magnetic resonance imaging of this section. If the examination does not reveal an intervertebral hernia or destruction of the vertebrae, then you can begin therapy using traditional methods.
In addition to these reasons, there are also hypothermia, infections, diabetes and others, which also provoke the development of inflammation in the sciatic nerve.
Traditional methods are very simple and effective; they make it possible to do without the use of drug therapy. If you carry out treatment using old, proven methods of traditional medicine, you can achieve good results in a short time.
Why an integrated approach to the problem is better
Symptoms of a cold sciatic nerve prevent a person from sitting, lying, moving, and even sleeping quietly.
To quickly get rid of a problem of this nature, the victim should undergo a comprehensive course of therapy and only then can he count on a quick result. If a person has a cold on the sciatic nerve and it brings him a lot of discomfort, he should think about complex treatment, because this will help to get the following result:
- speeding up the healing process several times;
- the opportunity to further strengthen the resources of one’s own immunity and make the body even stronger;
- the opportunity to take fewer pills, to be treated with simpler methods that do not cause side effects;
- The treatment process will be not only useful, but also enjoyable.
If you combine medication and physical therapy or massage, you can get rid of several problems at once. A person just has a cold on the sciatic nerve, but can additionally solve the problem with the general state of physical health and excess weight. Spa treatment for problems can be called no less popular, because a person will be able to relax, gain new strength and at the same time solve his main problem.
This nerve is considered to be one of the largest in the human body. That is why, if everything is not all right with him, the painful symptoms manifest themselves very strongly. To choose a good medication, a person needs to consult with a specialist and only then can any decisions be made.
After a treatment course, a person needs to be as careful as possible, dress well in the cold season, monitor the temperature in the room so that the situation cannot repeat itself. If you carefully monitor your own health, it will be impossible to encounter illness due to hypothermia. It is worth considering that there are quite a few other factors that can provoke such a situation.
Strong physical exertion, various injuries and the presence of other diseases can also provoke this disease, and it is precisely because of this that extra caution will not hurt anyone. Anyone can get a cold or injure the sciatic nerve, but this problem cannot be dealt with in one day. If the disease does occur, you should not expect it to go away on its own, but rather go to a hospital, where they can solve this problem as competently and quickly as possible. Only competent and timely treatment can give a positive result.
Back exercises
First of all, they start with gymnastics, for this they perform the following simple exercises:
- For patients who lead an inactive lifestyle, whose work requires them to constantly sit, you need to walk with a free, easy gait once an hour for 5 minutes. During movement, you need to make measured turns of the body to the sides, stretching with your arms, and lifting your hips. You can do a few squats if there is no pain.
- In case of exacerbation of inflammation of the sciatic nerve, serious physical activity is contraindicated. You need to feel and pay attention to what movements and loads the attacks of pain are felt.
- The surest and fastest way to relieve a pain attack is a source of any heat. The heat will relax the muscles, eliminating the spasm that causes pain. Only heat will not be enough; you need to add light massage and reflexology using very irritating factors.
Possible complications of sciatica
If the sciatic nerve is cold and acute symptoms are not treated for a long time, severe complications may develop:
- disruption of the digestive tract;
- urinary and fecal incontinence;
- hyperthermia, redness of the skin;
- urinary retention;
- atrophy of the gluteal and calf muscles;
- significant limitation of mobility.
Without timely treatment, sciatic neuralgia can negatively affect the sensitivity of the bladder, urinary canals, and rectum. It is very difficult for patients to move, dysfunction of the joints of the lower extremities occurs, and nerve tissue is destroyed.
Traditional medicine recipes
Treatment of the sciatic nerve with folk remedies consists of relieving attacks of pain and relieving the inflammatory process. To relieve acute attacks of pain in a short time, compresses and rubs based on herbal infusions and decoctions are used.
An effective folk remedy is a warming compress. To prepare it, you need to grind fresh horseradish root in a meat grinder (or blender), and add the same amount of grated potatoes to it. Mix everything well with 1 tbsp. honey Spread the mixture onto a piece of gauze folded in 2-3 layers.
The clean skin of the lower back is lubricated with sunflower or any other vegetable oil (this will prevent burns) and gauze with the mixture is placed on top. Polyethylene, a heavy pillow and a blanket are placed on top. During the process you cannot walk or sit, you only need to lie down for an hour. In this case, the patient will begin to feel a very strong burning sensation, as if he had received a burn. But the patient will not receive a burn, there will only be redness. Such compresses are applied every other day.
A good remedy and compress with fir oil. You need to soak a piece of cloth with oil and place it on your lower back. You can simply rub the lumbar area with fir oil, cover it with cellophane on top and warm it with a heating pad. The burning sensation will also be felt strongly. To avoid burns, you need to lubricate the skin with vegetable oil. Keep the compress for 1–2 hours.
A good remedy for lower back pain is a black radish compress. Prepare 300 g of black radish in advance, grate it and mix it with ½ cup of honey. Then you need to go to the bathhouse and steam it well, go out and put radish gruel on your lower back and sore leg for 5-10 minutes. Rinse off the mixture with warm water and immediately go to bed under a warm blanket, where it is good to sweat. On average, 1 procedure is enough, after which the inflammation goes away.
The following folk medicine also helps cure sciatica very well. You need to take 1 thick leaf of aloe vera at least 3 years old. It needs to be ground and covered with red hot pepper. Mix well, spread it on the sore spot, secure with cellophane and dress warmly or cover yourself. It is better to apply the compress at night. In the morning the procedure is repeated. 5-6 such compresses are enough to completely get rid of lumbar radiculitis.
People with hypersensitive skin should use such burning products with caution. These components, in contact with the skin, irritate it, as a result of which heat begins to be released, which helps cope with inflammation.
Alcohol tinctures from various herbs also help in treating the sciatic nerve:
- A wonderful decoction of aspen leaves is made to treat lumbar radiculitis. You need to take 2 tbsp. dry raw materials, pour 2 cups of boiling water and cook in an enamel container for 10 minutes. Cool, strain and take 50 ml three times a day. This product is also suitable for applying compresses.
- Elecampane and calendula are also good folk remedies for inflammation of the sciatic nerve. To prepare a decoction, you need to chop the elecampane root and add boiling water, then boil over fire for 5 minutes. This decoction relieves inflammation and dulls pain. Take 100 ml in the morning and evening until the disease is completely cured.
- Prepare an infusion of marigold flowers from 2 tbsp. raw materials and 400 ml of boiling water. Pour over the flowers and boil for 5-7 minutes, then leave for 2 hours. Take 0.5 cups before meals 3 times a day.
The use of sauerkraut is recommended, as it helps fill the intestines with beneficial microflora. This product also contains lactic acid, which helps relieve sciatica.
You need to regularly brew beans or peas. This is an effective diuretic used for pinched sciatic nerves.
Pine baths are very useful. They have anti-inflammatory, warming, soothing and analgesic effects. For a bath, you need to brew 1 kg of pine shoots in 3 liters of boiling water. Filter and add to the bath at a rate of 1:15. Take the bath before bed for a week. After a bath, you should immediately go to a warm bed. You can additionally rub your lower back with some herbal rub.
We place banks in accordance with the rules
Is it possible to use such a folk remedy for sciatica as cupping? When installing the can, it sticks to the skin, forming an even red circle. The flow of lymph and blood rushes into this place, and this contributes to the development of the following effects:
- organs and tissues begin to actively receive nutrients;
- the body's resistance to infections increases;
- the inflammatory process goes away much faster;
- growths on the spine begin to gradually dissolve;
- muscle tone and elasticity increase.
Therefore, it is possible and necessary to use cupping for nerve inflammation, you just need to know how to do it correctly. Cupping treatment is very effective. There are several types of jars: regular glass, vacuum, silicone and rubber. You can buy any at the pharmacy. Glass medicine jars can be replaced with mayonnaise jars or after baby food.
Rules for placing glass jars:
- Apply Vaseline to clean skin in the desired area.
- Cotton wool is wrapped around a long stick.
- Dip it in alcohol and set it on fire.
- Using this method, the jar is heated from the inside for 3-5 seconds and attached to the skin. The container, as a rule, suctions well.
- The patient is covered with a warm blanket from above for the warm-up period and then after the procedure.
Vacuum cans are much more convenient and safer. They do not need to be heated with an open fire. When attaching the can, a vacuum is created using a balloon.
It is enough to squeeze a soft silicone or rubber jar on the sides, press it to the skin and release the sides. To achieve the maximum effect from cupping treatment, you need to perform massage movements. This procedure is easy to carry out independently. This massage is performed for about 15 minutes, after which you need to lie down under the blanket for another 20 minutes to consolidate the therapeutic effect.
Cupping massage can be dynamic or static. Dynamic massage consists of moving one fixed can over the sore area in a variety of ways, without lifting it from the skin. Static massage is the fixation of cups at certain points, which helps relieve the condition of a pinched sciatic nerve.
Clinical manifestations of neuritis
Symptoms and treatment of a cold sciatic nerve with 100% probability can only be determined by a vertebrologist. This is due to the specific manifestations of neurological diseases. The main sign signaling the development of sciatica is pain. It can be localized in:
Experienced specialists judge sciatic neuralgia by the manifestation of three main signs, namely:
- Sicard's sign. When the foot is flexed and the leg muscles are tense, the pain in the leg intensifies;
- Lasègue's symptom. In a supine position, straightening the leg leads to increased pain in the muscles of the thigh and lower leg;
- landing symptom. If the patient has a cold in the sciatic nerve, a symptom of neuralgia will be pain that gets worse in a sitting position when the knee is extended.
The symptomatic picture may be supplemented by the following signs of sciatica:
- increased pain when walking and sitting;
- slight dulling of pain when taking analgesics;
- periodic numbness of the toes.
Recommendations
The main thing is not to start the disease, but to take action in time. And in order to avoid a pinched nerve or after recovery to maintain the condition and prevent relapses, it is necessary to strengthen the back muscles and eat right.
It is very important to keep your back straight at all times, avoid your favorite comfortable poses, and avoid lifting or carrying heavy objects.
Set aside time every day to do exercises. It is important not to get too cold. Women should avoid wearing high-heeled shoes.
Diagnostics
The diagnosis is made by a neuropathologist through an initial examination and questioning of the patient, collecting an anamnesis. To complete the picture of the disease, an x-ray is taken (it allows the specialist to determine osteochondrosis, pinching), computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging (to exclude or confirm the presence of cancer cells, tumors, intervertebral hernias), ultrasound examination (the pelvic organs are examined to identify the root cause that provoked illness).